Hub City Lakers give local products second chance

Sunday

Jan 20, 2013 at 12:01 AMJan 21, 2013 at 1:05 AM

Former area stars hit the court with hopes of continuing their basketball careers for the Hub City Lakers.

By ROBERT W. DALTONbob.dalton@shj.com

Anthony Jenkins picked the perfect place to hold tryouts for the Hub City Lakers — a church.People looking for a second chance often find it there, even guys who, based on their track record and conventional wisdom, don't have a prayer. But dreams aren't built on conventional wisdom, and prayers aren't just for those without any blemishes.Thirteen players came to Saint Christopher's Episcopal Church this weekend looking to land a spot on the Lakers — the new semi-pro team that will open its first season in April. One was Zycorrian Robinson.The Lakers will play their home games at Spartanburg High School. It will be familiar territory for Z-Man, as he is called, who got a great deal of attention — some wanted, some not — as a football and basketball star for the Vikings.It was Z-Man who in 2007 turned District 7 administrators into a committee of football coaches. Doc Davis, the real coach at the time, dismissed Robinson from the team after a well-publicized spat, but administrators reinstated the quarterback.And it was Z-Man who, in the state 4A basketball championship game in 2008, launched perhaps the greatest shot that never counted. With Spartanburg trailing Summerville and time running out, he heaved the ball from about 75 feet and it found its home in the net. But the referees ruled that he let it go after the horn sounded — although replays indicated otherwise — and Summerville escaped with the title.Z-Man drifted after that. He was dismissed from Spartanburg Methodist after being charged with simple possession of marijuana. Stints at a prep school, USC Salkehatchie and Division II power Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., followed. With his eligibility spent, he came back to Spartanburg, put his dream of a professional career on hold and got a job at Lear Corp.And then Jenkins came calling with a new opportunity. Jenkins is the owner of the Lakers, a new entry in the Tobacco Road Basketball League. The TRBL is a minor league with teams throughout both Carolinas.“My ultimate goal is to play pro ball, whether that means going overseas or getting scouted,” Robinson said. “This gets me a step closer. It's great to have another opportunity. Those don't come around that often, and I want to make the most of it.”Omar Sanders joined Robinson on the court at the tryout. Sanders and Robinson were brothers in arms at Spartanburg High, and Sanders also was dismissed from the SMC team when he was busted with Robinson. He went to a junior college in Illinois, then finished his college career at South Carolina State.Sanders has tasted professional basketball, in South America and Africa. But the grind of putting his 6-foot-7, 210-pound frame against 7-footers approaching 300 pounds night in and night out took its toll, so he came home and went to work at Amazon.He has a workout scheduled with the Lake City Admirals of the Premier Basketball League next week, but he likes the idea of playing for a team in his hometown.“I'm still chasing the dream,” said Sanders, 22. “I won't ever stop. When I heard about this I had to jump on it. It's a good opportunity.”Chase Holmes also is looking for a place to play. Chesnee High's all-time leading scorer, Holmes played at Presbyterian College and finished at USC Aiken last year. This is the first season in years that he hasn't been part of a team.Holmes, 23, is built like a linebacker and takes advantage with a physical style. But he also can shoot the jumper and dish the ball to an open teammate.“My game is my strength,” he said. “I like to bang and drive to the basket. I love the contact.”Holmes hopes playing for the Lakers will get him noticed, and that he'll get to extend his career and earn a living playing the game he loves.“The goal is to play professional basketball, and there are many different paths,” Holmes said. “The easiest is high school, college and then the pros. Mine is a little different, but it's not over. I've just got to keep my head up, keep trying and keep praying.”The Lakers will hold another open tryout from 12-2 Saturday at Saint Christopher's. After that, tryouts will be by invitation only as the team builds its roster for its April debut.Jenkins, a standout at Clemson and a former professional himself, said he founded the Lakers to give guys like Robinson, Sanders, Holmes and other former high school and college players another chance to showcase their talents. And he believes there are plenty of guys out there who could take advantage of one more shot.“A lot of talent has come through Spartanburg, guys who are now 27 or 28 and are now retired,” Jenkins said. “That's kind of crazy. You've got all these guys who are supposed to be at their peak, and they're retired. What I want to do is create that opportunity for them to have an opportunity to play after college.”

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